Treating tobacco.



, JOHN L. DANIELS, JR., OF NEW YORK,

by declare that the following is a full, clear,

Patented October 4, 1904.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CIGAR COMPANY OF NEW N. Y.,"ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN YORK, OF NEW-YORK, N. Y.

TREATING TOBACCO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771 ,355, dated October 4, 1904.

I Application filed September 10, I903.

T0 (ZZZ whom, it may concern:

Beitknow. hat I, J OHN L. DANIELS, J r., a citizen of the L nited States, a practicing physician, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Treating Tobacco, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to prevent as far as practicable theinjurious effects produced on the human system by the smoking of tobacco; and to this end I subject the tobacco to the action of a soluble oxidiz ing agent, wherebyI convert all or a portion of the nicotin present in the leaves into nico-' tinic acid and at the same time improve its smoking qualities by exerting a strong 'oxi-' dizing action on the resinous substances present in the tobaccomThe leaves are not changed in color by the process, nor does the tobacco suffer any defect which could render it unfit for use as a commercial article, and I do hereand exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to practice the same.

I am aware that various methods have been proposed to render the nicotin in tobacco harmless to the user and that ithas also been attempted to secure this desired result by oxidizingthe nicotin. My invention, however, differs from the prior methods, as will appear 7 more fully hereinafter.

F In experimenting to iind a suitable soluble i oxidizer for the nicotin I have found that it is an extremely stable compound, not easily oxidized, resisting all but the most powerful oxidizing agents. Common oxygen, periodic l and perchloric acids produce no oxidizing acl tion on nicotin or its salts.

The following process hasin view the conversion of the nicotin contained in the tobacco either wholly or partially into nicotinic acid by means of a soluble oxidizing agent i which will leave no injurious reaction behind. l

Serial No. 172,707. (No specimens.)

In working along these lines I have found .ammonium permanganate will readily effect" the oxidation of the nicotin Without leaving any injurious reaction products in the leaves. Any other permanganate will effect the oxidation equally well; but the reaction prod- 5 ucts are somewhat injurious and also diflicult to free from tobacco. The reaction products when ammonium permanganate is used are manganese sesquioxid and ammonia. The ammonia is readily volatilized in the subsequent drying. and the sesquioxid being an insoluble compound of manganese can haveno injurious action on the smoker. The solution of ammonium permanganate does not oxidize the ethereal oils, nor has it any appreciable effect on the inorganic salts present in the tobacco. The treatment is entirely harmless and,serves to improve the tobacco in various ways, such as by oxidizing the resinous sub stances in the tobacco, asbeforei stated. In carrying out my process as set forth above the tobacco, either loosely or in undles, is immersed in a ten-per-cent. solution of the, ammonium permanganate until the desired amount of oxidation has taken place. The 7 leaves are then taken out, washed, and allowed to dry. 7

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The herein-described methodot' treating tobacco to oxidize the DICK tin contained therein, which consists in exposing the leaves to the action of oxygen given olf by permanganate of ammonium.

2. The herein-described method of treating 30 tobacco to oxidize the nicotin contained therein, which consists in immersing the leaves in a solution of ammonium permanganate:

JOHN L. DANIELS. JUNIOR. "itnesses:

(hem-ion Ii. DANIELS, J As. .\lo(i. Surrn. 

